Regardless RB and Norton, this 1964 could produce an interesting election map.
I personally could see Rockefeller getting the GOP nod, and whipping Smathers, but i have a better idea.
I have to say this
Democrats for Goldwater
(playing off the republicans who refused to vote for Goldwater in 64)
Wishing you well, his majesty,
The Scandinavian Emperor
Now that I've posted some things on Smathers positions (or at least those he would have espoused electorally), I think we can get a better bearing on how 1964 would have gone. And you guys are free to use any of the information I posted to draw your own conclusions.
Smathers was a Centrist Liberal like JFK, but was rather more conservative (I'll go little c rather than big C there). That means he could cut into Goldwater's support, but that he wouldn't be as distinct from Goldwater politically as JFK or LBJ were so that could raise Goldwater to higher footing. Whether Goldwater would get the nomination or not is perhaps debateable; while a more conservative Liberal than either LBJ or JFK, Smathers was still marketing himself as a Liberal (which would undercut Rocky as a Liberal alternative), and Rockefeller had the scandal of a divorce on his hands which hurt him in 1964. However, perhaps you could find a way to have another Republican besides Goldwater or Rocky get the nomination.
I do think Smathers could garner a lot of Republican support. In the 1950 campaign, the GOP threw its support to him to beat Smathers because they knew their guy wouldn't win (Solid South and all), and Smathers positions in 1950 were ones they supported; again "opposed to regulation, regimentation, red tape, and big government" (I'd like to say, however, I don't think that should be taken to the extreme of Smathers being himself like a Goldwater or Reagan Conservative. Simply that he was opposed to expanding things anymore, and perhaps would make modifications here and there to peel things back while maintaining the existing New Deal state; perhaps like Nixon). However, the parties of this day were more solid and step in line so maybe not, but if it is Goldwater, and as Goldwater was out there for many GOP members, you could see that "Republicans for Smathers" thing, but it may be debatable.
Now that we've discussed that, its time to move on to "Democrats for Goldwater", which I think may be a bit less likely than the afforementioned, but it may still be possible. Politically, at least in most ways, Goldwater is either going to be the same as Smathers or -most of the time- more Conservative. Except perhaps on Civil Rights, and therein lies an issue where he could perhaps gain some Democrats if he plays his cards right. I think both Smathers and Goldwater would be equally opposed to Civil Rights legislation that was comprehensive, but while I think Smathers was simply cool on the issue of Civil Rights personally, Goldwater was supportive of equality. That could potentially gain some black votes, but I think it was more "put up or shut up" for blacks by this time and support of legislative equality, not just personally belief in equality, would have been necessary; if we're going with the 'JFK shot in '63" scenario, Kennedy had come to propose a comprehensive Civil Rights bill shortly before his death which would later become the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (and blacks were very disheartened when Kennedy was shot because they feared it may never go through without JFK). So black voters will want that bill passed and want Civil Rights legislation. If neither candidate supports it, that could render blacks simply neutral in the election. There's also the issue, moving on from Civil Rights, of the New Dealers. Here, we could see a replay of 1960, but instead of Kennedy alienating New Deal Liberals, it would be Smathers, and as Smathers is more conservative than Kennedy, and the election of 1950 against Pepper and slandering him is still something the New Dealers remember, you could see a bloody primary where the New Deal Liberals try to do what they did in 1960 and run a New Deal Liberal against Smathers in the primary. However, this was -again- the era of strong parties, so the Democrats could end up falling in line when Smathers ended up becoming the candidate for the Dems for 64, which I think he likely would have. The need for unity after JFK's death and Smathers riding to victory on JFK's coffin is also there. But, maybe I could be wrong, and the New Dealers will try to run a third party. But, I'd most likely not believe that. And the New Dealers certainly wouldn't support Goldwater, who never supported the New Deal.
So a 1960s-centrist Democrat like JFK then. Good to know.
Sorry, I missed this I think.
He was a centrist Democrat like JFK, but was more conservative.